Mamelodi Sundowns now have a lengthy wait to find out who they meet next in the Intercontinental Cup, but will be hoping they get a clearer idea sooner rather than later of where they will be playing.
Sundowns’ 2-1 win over Asian champions Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, with Nuno Santos scoring both goals, advances them to the next stage of the six-team tournament featuring all the confederation champions.
Their next opponent is either the Concacaf Champions Cup holders Toluca of Mexico or the winners of the Copa Libertadores, the South American club championship.
The Copa Libertadores has reached the semifinal stage with Estudiantes of Argentina up against holders Flamengo and an all-Brazilian clash in the other semi where Fluminense meet Palmeiras.
The semifinals will be played over two legs next month but the final takes place one month later in Montevideo, Uruguay, on Saturday, November 28.
Only after that will Toluca then take on the new South American champions in the first of three Intercontinental Cup ties which will be played in one host country, which will be confirmed in due course, according to FIFA.
Sundowns will also travel to the host country and await the winner of the so-called ‘Derby of the Americas’ in what is effectively the Intercontinental Cup semifinal.
The winner of that game advances to the final to take on UEFA Champions League titlists Paris St Germain, who lifted the Intercontinental Cup last December, in this year’s Grand Final.
Last year’s mini tournament was hosted in Qatar, where PSG edged Flamengo on penalties in the final, and it is expected the tournament will return there again, likely in December, which will disrupt Sundowns’ domestic programme as well as the early group stages of the African Champions League should they overcome Willete of Angola in next month’s second-round knockout tie.